Cigarette case



Aug- 6, 196*8 l.. F. PLASKAN CIGARETTE CASE Filed Nov. a, 1967 2 ou 22, J

Ln/JN 4 2 v 3 J Hun FJ m W I w51 J United States il" ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cigarette case for housing packages of cigarettes, the case being longitudinally expandable to predetermined extents to accommodate cigarette packages of different lengths.

Background It has heretofore -been customary to provide cigarette cases for receiving and housing an entire package of cigarettes. Generally, such cases are matched to other accessories such as billfolds, French purses or clutches, lighters, key and glass cases and the like. Accordingly, it is desirable to design these cigarette cases as attractively and appealingly as possible.

In recent years, cigarettes have been manufactured in a variety of sizes, Thus, the packages to be accommodated by this type of cigarette case now vary from the so-called regular size to king size or long, or even to extra long. This has presented the problem of either furnishing cases of different sizes to accommodate each type of cigarette or design a case which may be converted for use with all types.

Since these cigarette cases and their matched accessories are commonly purchased for presentation as gifts with the donor frequently being unaware of the type or size of the cigarettes smoked by the donee, and since even the whims of the purchaser may change in instances wherein the cases are purchased for individual personal use, there is very little sales appeal for cigarette cases designated for use with only a single type or size of cigarette.

Similarly, in all known instances wherein a single allpurpose cigarette case for accommodating packages of various sizes has been proposed, the cases have been objectionably bulky, complicated, restrictive in use and application, and/or difficult to convert. For example, in some instances it has been proposed to provide a case of suicient length to receive and house cigarette packages of the longest available length and provide a ller functioning as a removable false bottom or bottoms for use with shorter packages. In other instances, it has been proposed to provide a case of sufficient length to accommodate the longest available packages and provide a hinged shelf yor the like manipulable to function as a spacer when the case is used with shorter packages. In any event, one or more of the aforementioned objections have heretofore been present.

Summary It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a case for receiving and housing packages of cigarettes of various sizes which obviates all of the aforesaid disadvantages and objections of prior devices intended for like purpose.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved and highly attractive cigarette case adapted to receive cigarette packages of various lengths without need for providing false bottoms of one type or another.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and highly attractive all-purpose cigarette case which is readily expansible or contractable in length at the will of the user to receive cigarette packages of diverse lengths.

atent O 3,395,787 Patented Aug. 6, 1968 An additional object of this invention is to provide an expansible cigarette case adapted to receive and house cigarette packages of various lengths without need for manual insertion and/or removal of llers and without need for manual manipulation of hinged shelf-forming members or the like.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a unique and attractive all-purpose cigarette case expandable to varying predetermined lengths and which is extremely simple and economical in construction, readily manipulable, and extremely flexible in its adaptations and use.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

The drawings A clear conception of the improvements constituting the present invention and of the mode of producing and utilizing cigarette cases constructed in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a typical cigarette case embodying the invention, a part of the decorative outer cover being broken away to reveal normally concealed structure and with the case being shown in its longitudinally extended position by means of broken lines;

FIGURE ,2 is a transverse longitudinal section through the cigarette case taken along the irregular line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and showing the case contracted to its shortest dimension;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the case expanded to its greatest longitudinal dimension;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of a somewhat modied cigarette case embodying the invention, a portion of the outer decorative cover again having been broken away to reveal normally concealed structure.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse section taken along the irregular line 5-5 of FIGURE 4 but showing the modified cigarette case extended from its shortest length to an intermedial length for accommodating so-called king size cigarettes; and

FIGURE 6 is another transverse section similar to that of FIGURE 5 but showing the case expanded to its greatest longitudinal length for accommodating extra long cigarettes.

Detailed descriptionl Referring now to the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the cigarette case disclosed therein as embodying the invention comprises, in general, a pair of telescopic tubular members 10, 12 cooperating to provide a longitudinally expandable housing for cigarette packages of different sizes. As shown, the outer telescopic member 10 is provided with a cover 14 hingedly secured to an end thereof as at 16 to provide access to the interior of the expandable case. The inner tubular member 12, in turn, is provided with a bottom closure 18 to prevent displacement of the cigarette package from the case upon insertion thereof through the upper access opening. The tubular member 10 may -be made of a predetermined length corresponding to that of either regular or king size cigarettes, and both the outer tubular member 10 and the cover 14 may be formed of plastic or the like. The tubular member 10 may furthermore be covered with a leather or fabric covering 20 for decorative purposes and, generally, to match other accessories intended to provide -a complete ensemble. The flexible cover 20 may be glued or otherwise secured to the outer tubular member adhesively or in any other suitable manner, and this cover may contain any desired decorative matter such as diagrammatically illustrated at 22.

The telescopic inner member 12 which is provided with the bottom wall 18 may be formed of any suitable material such as plastic or sheet metal, but the material forming the member 12 should be sufiiciently thin so as not to interfere with the insertion of a cigarette package into the case. As shown, it is preferable to reduce the thickness of the wall of the outer tubular member 10 within the area of telescopic movement of the inner member 12 as shown by the reference numeral 24 to reduce the possibility of interference With the insertion of a cigarette package.

To guide the telescopic inner member 12 in its longitudinal movement while preventing complete displacement thereof from the outer telescopic member 10, one of the members 10, 12 is formed with an elongated slot 26 extending longitudinally in one of its side walls, and

the other member 1t), 12 is provided with a projection 28 -on its corresponding side wall, the projection 28 being receivable in the slide along the slot 26 to thereby guide the members in their longitudinal movement. Also, to provide means for positively locating the telescopic members 10, 12 in predetermined positions of longitudinal adjustment the opposite side wall of one of these members 10, 12 remote from the slotted wall is provided with at least one set of longitudinally spaced apertures 30, 32 and the corresponding wall of the other member is formed with an abutment 34 selectively engageable with the apertures 30, 32.

In actual practice, it is preferable to form the elongated slot 26 as well as the longitudinally spaced apertures 30, 32 in opposite walls of the outer tubular member 10 with the guide and stop 28 and with positioning abutment 34 being formed on the walls of the inner tubular member 12. It is also preferable to locate the slot 26 centrally of its side wall, and it has also been found preferable to provide two palrs of the longitudinally spaced apertures 30, 32 located adjacent to the opposite ends of the side Wall on either side of the centerline. Such construction facilitates assembly and provides utmost efficiency in the guiding and positioning of the tubular members 10, 12.

In use, it is only necessary to insert the package of cigarettes through the upper access opening of the tubular member 10, and if the cigarettes are of a length corresponding to the length of the case in its contracted condition, there will be no disturbance of the bottom forming tubular member 12, the cigarettes being readily accessible upon opening of the cover 14. However, if the cigarettes inserted Within the case are of a longer size, the tubular member 12 will be slideably forced to expand the case as shown by dot-and-dash lines in FIGURE 1 and by full lines in FIGURE 3 merely lby insertion of the package and the exertion of sufiicient force to expand the case. Again, the cigarettes will then be readily available whenever desired upon opening of the cover 14.

Referring now to the somewhat modified embodiment shown in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, it will be noted that the device again consists generally of a pair of telescopic tuular members 40, 42, the access end of the tubular member 40 lbeing closed by a cover 44 hinged thereto as at 46. Again, the inner tubular member is provided with a bottom closure 48, but in this case, the inner tubular member 42 is always entirely confined within lthe confines of the outer tubular member 40 which is initially made of sufiicient length to accommodate any of the desired lengths of packages. The `outer case 40 is again shown as being covered with a leather, simulated leather or fabric cover 50 provided with decorative matter 52. In the modification shown, it is again preferable to also reduce the thickness of the inner wall portion 54 of the tubular member 10 within the area in which the inner tubular member 4Z is movable so as to reduce the possibility of interference with cigarette packages inserted 4within the case. In the modified cigarette case 'shown in FIGURES 4 to 6 inclusive, one of the outer walls of the tubular member 10 is again provided with a central longitudinal slot 5-6, and the corresponding wall of the inner tubular member 42 is provided with a projection 58 received in the slot 56 and slideable therealong to guide the' members 40, 42 in their telescopic movement. The modified case is also shown as including at least one set of three longitudinally spaced apertures 60, I62, 64 in its wall opposite to the slotted wall, and the inner tubular member 42 is again provided with an abutment 66 selectively engageable with the apertures 60, 62, 64. It is also again preferable to provide two sets of the apertures 60, 62, 64 as shown and as hereinabove described with respect to the modification of FIGURES l to 3.

The operation of the modified device in FIGURES 4 to 6 inclusive is essentially the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIGURES l to 3 except that three positions of longitudinaladjustment are provided instead of only two, and the bottom forming tubular member 42 is never movable outwardly beyond the end of the tubular member 4t?. It should, however, be noted that the preferred embodiment of FIGURES 1 `to 3 enables provision of a case which is somewhat shorter in its effective contracted length, and the device is therefore reduced in its bulkiness in the preferred modification which does facilitate display, shipping and usability with shorter cigarettes.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. A cigarette case comprising, a pair of telescopic tubular members providing a longitudinally expandable housing for cigarette packages of different sizes, a cover hingedly secured to an end of one of said members to permit access thereto, the end of the other member remote from said cover being closed, one of said members having a slot extending longitudinally along one of its side walls and the other member having a projection on its corresponding side wall receivable in and slidable along said slot to guide said members in their telescopic movement, at least one set of longitudinally spaced apertures in the side wall of one of said members remote from the slotted wall, and an abutment on the corresponding wall of the other member selectively engageable with the apertures to retain said tubular members in predetermined positions of longitudinal adjustment.

2. A cigarette case according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal guide slot is formed in a side wall of the outerl tubular member and the longitudinally spaced positioning apertures are formed in the opposite side wall of said outer tubular member with the guide projection and positioning abutments being formed on opposite side walls of the inner tubular member.

3. A cigarette case according to claim 2, wherein the longitudinal slot is centered in the sidewall and two sets of laterally spaced positioning apertures are provided in the opposite side wall with a positioning abutment being provided for each set of apertures on the adjacent wall of the inner tubular member.

4. A cigarette case according to claim 1, wherein the tubular members are longitudinally extensible from a contracted position wherein the inner tubular member is completely nested within the confines of the outer tubular member to an extended position wherein said inner tubular member extends outwardly beyond said outer tubular member a predetermined distance.

5. A cigarette case according to claim 1, wherein the inner tubular member is completely nested within the confines of the outer tubular member in all positions of longitudinal adjustment.

6. A cigarette case according to claim 1, wherein the 5 6 outer tubular member is provided with a decorative cover References Cited which conceals the slot and the apertures. UNITED STATES PATENTS 7. A cigarette case according to clarm 1, whereln the wall of the outer tubular member is of reduced thickness 1934138 11/1933 Paul et al' 22o-8 3,081,867 3/1963 Corey 206-41 for a portion of its length and the inner tubular member 5 is telescopically confined Within the wall portion of reduced thickness JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner. 

